Floor loading device



Get. 26 1926. 1,60%860 P.C.A.VAN DER MEER FLOOR LOADI NG DEVI CE FiledApril 5. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 26 1926a 1,604,860

P. C. A. VAN DER MEER FLOOR LOADING DEVICE Filed April 5, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 .Per 01:5. wander/E8 r,

Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES PETER G. A. VAN DER MEER oF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TOVANHOLTITE AUTO- MOBILE ATPIPLIANCES', INCORBORATED, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

,rLoon LOADING nnvron.

Application filed April 3, 1925. Serial No. 20,422.

The present invention relates to floor loading devices and particularlyto supporting braces used in connection with a shipment of automobilesin freight cars.

An object of the invention is to provide a supporting brace ofthis typeadapted to support a vehicle on the floor of a freight car and at thesame time brace it against longitudinal and lateral shifting movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a brace that can beconveniently, inexpensively and simply constructed of strip metal. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a brace or loadingdevice for ve hicles provided with means for supporting and bracing thevehicle at the hubs of the wheels and also at other points, preferablyat one ormore of the rim bolts of the wheels.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such abraceincluding what may be termed a loading-hub cap adapted to re placeduring transportation theusual hub cap, together with means forsecuring,

either rotatably or rigidly, said cap to the remainder of the bracAnother object of the invention is to provide such a brace which can beraised or lowered to the desired levelwith respect not onlyto thelongitudinal bracing and supporting means, but also .with respect to thelateral bracing and supporting means.

Other objects and advantages of the in-' Fig. 2 is a side elevation onan enlarged vehiolewheel loaded thereon;

isa side elevation similar to Fig: 2, but without the wheel and showingthe loadg ing device from the other side; 1 p Fig. l is atop plan viewof'the loading device; 7 Fig. 5is a vertical sectionthereof taken on theline 5-5 of Fig; 4;

scale showing the supporting brace and a Fig. 6 is an end elevation ofthe loading device;

Fig. 7 IS a side elevation on a reduced scale and partly broken awayshowing anwith a plurality of loading devices 12 adapt-' fortransportation. r

The supporting device is shown as comprising awmetal strip bent as shownin the drawings to form two longitudinal support ing and bracing legs 14with an intermediate bearing portion 15, each of said legs beingprovided with horizontally extending feet 16 provided with bolt or screwholes 17 adapted to [receive bolts or screws 18 or othersecuring meansfor fastening said feet rigidly tothe floor 11.

Each of the legs 14: is provided with a lateral brace 19 shown as havingthe form of. an angularly bent metal strip secured to tlie legs 14 byscrew bolts 15'. A part of each lateral brace 19 preferably lies in avertical plane and is provided with an opening20 adapted to receive oneof the rim bolts 21 of an automobile or other vehicle wheel 22, said rimbolts being secured to ed to support and brace an automobile '13 saidlateral bracing means by nuts 23 or' other su1table fastenlng means. Thefunction 'of the lateral braces shown abutting against the wheel wherethe rim bolts are located. and preferably receiving the rim bolts,is toprevent any changein' the planar direction of the wheel. This isimportant because in'the case of the front wheels, these are secured byvertical pins to the stationary axles, and where a vehicle is supportedby thehubs of the wheels and is subjected to a shock in alongitudinaldirection, owing tofthe tremendous weight of the vehicle between thehubs, there is a tendency for the body oft-he vehicle to move forwardlyand 'a drag on the wheel hubs tending to prevent this movement.

The result is that where no means is" provided to prevent the to receivebolts, screws, or other securing means 31 adapted to fasten saidlateralbrace 31 to the floor 11, as shown in Fig. 1.

A longitudinal connecting brace 13, pref erably consisting of anangularly bent metal strip as shown in the drawings, connects thelongitudinal legs 14 preferably near the feet thereof and has its endssecured to said legs by screw bolts 414 or other suitable means. Alateral brace d7, preferably consisting of a metal strip bent as shownin the drawings, has one of its ends 18 secured example,

to the. lateralbrace 31 by a screw bolt d9 or other securing means andhas its other end 50 riveted or otherwise secured to the longitudinalconnecting brace 43.

The bearing portion 15 is provided with a temporary or loading hub cap5st, which may conveniently have the form of a socket or open cylinderthreaded at one of its ends 55 for the reception of the screw threads onthe hub of a vehicle wheel, the usual hub cap being temporarily removedfor this purpose, and the other end of the loading hub cap mayconveniently be provided with some means for facilitating its rotation,such, for as the diametrically opposed notches 56 adapted to receive asuitable tool.

The loading hub cap 54L is secured during transportation to theremaining portion of the loading device by any convenient means, andforthis purpose the loadinghub cap is preferably provided with one or moreexternal annular grooves 57. portion or portions of the loading hub capare embraced by U-bolts, which have their ends passing through thebearing portion 15, and screw threaded for the reception of clamping andsecuring nuts 60.

The operation of the device is as follows: lVhen the automobile or othervehicle is to be shipped, its hub caps are removed and replaced by theloading hub caps 54:, after which the vehicle is placed in position be;tween opposed loading devices, as shown in Fig. 1, of which preferablyfour are used for each vehicle. The bearing portion 15 of each loadingdevice is preferably sufli ciently far above the floor to permit thewheels of the vehicle to be raised entirely off the floor, as shown inFig. 1. Theloading devices are each screwed orotherwise secured tothefioor, as shown in Fig. 1-, and it willbe noted that each loadingdevice is secured to the floor not only at the feet of The grooved onthe hubs either before or after the automobile or other vehicle isplaced in position between the loading devices.

lVhen its destination is reached, the vehicle is removed and the loadinghub caps are replaced by the usual hub caps.

When in loaded position the weight of the automobile is distributed onthe bearing portions 15, which are supported and braced by thelongitudinal legs 14 and are additionally supported and braced laterallyby the lateral brace 31. When in loaded position, longitudinal movementof the loaded vehicle is prevented byv the loading hub cap bearing onthe clamping U-bolts in a radial direction with respect to said hub capand lateral movement of the loadedvehicle is prevented by the engagementof the grooved portion or portions of the loading hub cap with theU-bolt or Ubolts 58 thrusting thereagainst in an axial direction withrespect to said hubcap. If it is desired to rotate the loading hub capon the hub screw threads when the vehicle is in loaded position, thismay be accomplished byloosening or removing the clamping u boltsp;

. It will also be noted that thelon itudinal supporting legs 14 arebraced by the longitudinal brace 43, which in turn is braced to thelateral supporting leg 31 by'the lateral brace -Zl7.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8,the loading'hub cap, the clamping U-bolts and the bearing portion arepreferably the same as those above described. The longitudinal legs,however,areinadein sections 14 and 14 the lower end of'the sections 14being provided with horizontal feet 16 similar to the feet 16, and thejoining portions of both sections 14 and 14 being provided with aplurality of b'olt holes 62 adapted to receive one or more bolts 6301'other securing means for rigidly joining said sections. The lateralsupporting leg similarly consists of two sections 31 and 31 the joiningportions of which are similarly provided with bolt holes 62 and one ormore bolts 63. By means of this construction the height or level "of thebearing portion 15, on whichthe loading hub cap-rests, may-be regulatedbefore the loading device as a whole issec'ured to the floor 11, asshown in Fig. 1. The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs? and'Smayor maynot be provided with TllIPbOll] securing means such as is-shown inFigs'l to 6 inclusive, and if such braces are provided, they may be madeadjustable on the supporting and bracing legs either by a plurality ofbolt holes orby bolt and slot'conlUU nections, such as the two boltsshown or a slot in one member to which the other is secured by aholt, aform of which connection is illustrated by way of example in Fig. 6, theslot being numbered 19. In adjusting, of course, it will be obvious thatonly one bolt need be used where the slot is provided. This form ofadjustability is de sirable tor the purpose of advancing the rim boltbraces toward and away from the vehicle wheel.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications may be made in the constructions above described withoutdeparting from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. A vehicle loading device including a brace having, incombination therewith, means for receiving the hub of a vehicle wheeland means associated with said wheel remote from said hub formaintaining said wheel in a fixed plane.

2. A vehicle loading deviceincluding, in combination, a wheel hubreceiving and supporting member and means adapted to contact with saidwheel for preventing said wheel from changing its planar direction.

3. A vehicle loading device including a wheel hub engaging andsupporting portion, and spaced wheel abutment braces 00- operatingtherewith for maintaining said wheel in a fixed plane.

4:. A vehicle bracing support including, in combination, a vehicle wheelhub receiving portion adapted to take longitudinal and lateral thrust.of said vehicle under shock, and spaced wheel abutment:- braces adaptedto maintain said wheel in a fixed plane, said braces being adjustabletoward and away from said vehicle wheel.

5. A vehicle bracing support having, in combination,a vehicle wheel hubreceiving portion adapted to take longitudinal and lateral thrust ofsaid vehicle as a whole under shock, and rim bolt receiving wheelabutment means adapted to prevent said Wheel from changing its planardirection when said vehicle is subjected to shock.

6. In combination, a pair of legs spaced at their bottoms and convergingat their tops, means carried on the top of said legs 7 for engaging avehicle and straps on said legs adjacent their tops for engaging avehicle wheel.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

PETER C. A. VAN DER MEER.

